Where did all the music go?

Right now I'm in the midst of a media boycott.. and THE trial is underway here in Stockholm pitting the music industry against The Pirate Bay. Reading soime of the replies that TPB have posted to notices from copyright holders I can't say I'm surprised that all sorts of people are guns blazing for a prosecution. Right now though that all seems to hang on technicalities - in that a Torrent tracker doesn't actually do more than link to where a file might be.

But that's by the by.. as part of the trial there's big talk of damages... that downloading copyright material is causing big losses to the music industry as people stop buying CDs. But despite wanting to press for punitive sums in damages it doesn't really seem to be proven that that is actually the case. There is a lot of music in circulation... but how much of that would ever be bought at industry list price is debatable.

But maybe people are buying less music for other reasons? People like me that can afford to go down to the shops and splash out on a few full price albums know that they are being ripped off - and like me look elsewhere for new music. Music from the internet doesn't have to be pirated... there are thousands of Internet radio stations to choose from... and here at least plenty of second hand stores to browse.

So I could pay full price - but I choose to buy from a source that gives me value for money, and the satisfaction of supporting a local entrepreneur - and makes sure that a big fat zero ends up in those dwindling sales figures. The spectre of media industry lawyers bullying customers into line has quite simply taken all the pleasure out of buying new....

The last CDs I bought were in fact second hand from Stadsmissionen - a charity here in Sweden supporting the homeless. A much more deserving cause.